KJ Charles - Jackdaw

Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. Until his betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.
Ben is determined to make Jonah pay. But he can’t seem to forget what they once shared, and Jonah refuses to let him. Soon Ben is entangled in Jonah’s chaotic existence all over again, and they’re running together—from the police, the justiciary, and some dangerous people with a lethal grudge against them.
Threatened on all sides by betrayals, secrets, and the laws of the land, can they find a way to live and love before the past catches up with them?

Comment: Considering I'm a fan of the books I've read so far by this author, it was no surprise I'd want to read this story, set in the world I fell in love with and also because I'd have the chance to "see" Stephen and Lord Crane again. Any reader likes to see scenes with beloved characters.

Jonah is a windwalker and some of his actions have been condemned and disliked but he had a reason for everything. In this story we get to know more about his origins and reasons.

Ben is the main character in this book, though. the story is told in the third person but Ben is the obvious center of attention and most things are seen from his perspective. Ben was in a relationship - as much as they could - with Jonah but when it was found Jonah was a thief, Ben was left to bear the guilt and the shame and he ended up with nothing. Ben wants revenge but will he simply overlook everything he and Jonah shared?

This book focuses on Ben and Jonah. Jonah was one of the so called bad guys of one of the Magpie Lord books but there was something about him that clearly made readers curious and now we are given the chance to know his personal story. And once we learn his story, his past, it's understandable he didn't manage to stay on the right path all the time. This doesn't excuse his bad actions, after all he is a rational human being, but at least it makes it understandable, if not acceptable.

Ben is true hero of this book, the character that makes it all go forward. I really liked him, especially his dark thoughts. ben is not in the best mental position he could. In fact, many parts of the book were emotionally draining because of Ben's mental state. He's not crazy, but he is depressed and sad and those two things can drag you down and make tou think and feel things that usually you would try to fight or escape from.

I've cried a lot by imagining myself in his shoes and what would it be like to suffer and process things the way he was doing. Yes, we can always sympathize and even claim we wouldn't but can we honestly say we would never? It was very sad in some parts to read what he was thinking and I truly feel the author did a great job in describing his state of mind after what he considered a betrayal and abandonment. Whether one likes it or not, I think the emotional aspects were amazingly done and that's why, despite the negative moments, I loved this book.

I can understand, though, why this would be considering boring or too irritating, no one likes people in depressing moments but Ben's feelings were so well constructed and were so easy to follow that I really could put myself in his position and, to me, this was magical and not annoying.

The romance obviously goes through some rocky parts, some depressing ones and some challenges but overall it leads the road we all expect, the HEA.

Ben and Jonah don't simply make out and that's it, there is a lot to analyze and forgive for both of them but the plot reaches a certain moment where you can see how they both thought about everything and a reunion is not only logical but deserved. Sure, it's not easy but it proves it can be done. I liked how both of them accepted and moved forward after so much hurt but true feelings were still there.

It was great to see Lord Crane and Stephen, although Stephen seemed rather mean here and there.But the end justifies everything at last. It was good to see them interact with others, Jonah and Ben in particular, even if only briefly. The technical stuff about crimes and police and other things in the plot was also interesting and easy to follow.

All in all, a great book, liked many aspects of it, loved the fact we get such a "complete" story in less than 200 pages, at least it feels like it and, to me, the best will always be the hard but strong emotional elements in it and how amazing it makes the book and that is pure author's talent. I can't wait to read the rest of her books.

Grade: 9/10